To applicant's knowledge, the only reference that discloses a check valve of the above description is U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,422 Ball et al.
This invention addresses two concerns presented by the structure illustrated in the '422 patent. The first concern is that the rack and pinion arrangement disclosed therein raises the potential for mechanical binding. The second concern is that the use of a pilot valve may be undesirable in many applications for two reasons. The first reason is that in applications which do not permit leakage, a sealing arrangement must be provided for the pilot valve as well as the main valve. The second reason is that in applications characterized by high back-pressure, the pilot valve may (depending on its design and composition) be closed violently, thus presenting the additional concerns of wear, damage, and noise.